PhD opening: Intra-wave modeling of coastal nourishment morphodynamics

This research position is part of the NWO-funded SOURCE program: Sand nOURisment strategies for sustainable Coastal Ecosystems. The SOURCE philosophy is that carefully planned sand nourishments in the present will create the required and desired resilient and dynamic multifunctional coastal landscapes of the future.

SOURCE will deliver the scientific knowledge, models and design tools to develop and evaluate nourishment strategies in a multi-stakeholder co-creation process. Our Living Labs are two sand nourishments along the Dutch coast. These will be co-designed, monitored and evaluated by the SOURCE consortium. There are in total 12 positions - PhD, Post-Doc and other researchers - at 8 academic institutes. They will collaborate closely with 25 partners from government organizations, research institutes, nature organizations and industry.

Within the SOURCE program, your project aims to unravel controlling cross-shore sand transport processes at various scales, such as bottom boundary layer processes, vertical turbulence and sand mixing, and effects of wave breaking. To do so you will develop a detailed research model to describe intra-wave cross-shore sand transport and morphodynamics (e.g. OpenFoam). The model will be validated using lab and field data. Finally, the research model will be used to inform the development of a more practical numerical model (e.g. Delft3D) that will be developed within another SOURCE PhD project to predict nourishments’ lifetime, spreading and impacts on coastal state indicators.

Being part of the SOURCE team implies close interaction with your UT supervisors as well as fellow researchers within the consortium, especially with knowledge institute Deltares. Regular consortium meetings will accommodate knowledge exchange with our partners, increasing the relevance and impact of our research. Furthermore, you will present your work at (inter)national conferences and publish your findings in journal papers and a PhD thesis.

• Challenging work in an inspiring multidisciplinary environment with enthusiastic colleagues.
• Four-year fulltime PhD position, with a qualifier exam after 6-9 months.
• Full status as an employee at the UT, including pension and health care benefits.
• Tailor-made educational/development program 6 months (30 EC), including conference visits
• Gross monthly salary ranging from € 3059.- (first year) to € 3881,- (fourth year).
• Annual holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• Minimum of 41 holidays per year in case of fulltime employment (40 hours/week).
• You have to be willing to move to (the vicinity of) Enschede. A relocation allowance or temporary housing allowance may be part of the offer.
• The University of Twente is situated on a green and lively campus with lots of facilities for sports (free of access) and other activities.
• We provide excellent mentorship and a stimulating research environment to accelerate your further professional and personal growth.

Research will be your primary focus, but you will also contribute to teaching activities (about 10% of your time) for which didactical training is provided. We support you to broaden your knowledge by joining international exchange programs, by participating in national and international conferences and workshops and by visiting industrial companies, research institutes, and universities worldwide.

For more information about the position, you are encouraged to contact Dr. ir. Geert Campmans (g.h.p.campmans@utwente.nl), Dr. ir. Jebbe van der Werf (j.j.vanderwerf@utwente.nl) or Prof. dr. Kathelijne Wijnberg.

Please upload your application via the ‘Apply now’ button before January 21st, 2026.

Your application should include a cover letter of max 2 pages (emphasizing your specific interest, motivation and qualifications), a detailed CV, an academic transcript of BSc and MSc education, result of an English test (if you attended a non-English taught MSc program), a publication list (if applicable) and contact details of two referees. Since only three documents can be uploaded per application, please combine documents if needed. An interview and a scientific presentation will be part of the selection procedure.

The first selection interviews are scheduled for January 29th, 2026, preferably in person at the campus of the University of Twente. A second round may be part of the procedure.

We aim for this project to start May 1st, 2026. We also welcome students to apply who expect to have finished their MSc thesis around this time.